Surgery: splint – brace – or bandage – Bandage structure – Support covering
Reexamination Certificate
1998-12-01
2001-02-13
Brown, Michael A. (Department: 3764)
Surgery: splint, brace, or bandage
Bandage structure
Support covering
C602S063000, C002S022000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06186970
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to a leg protection garment.
More particularly, it relates to a leg protection garment applied generally in close contact with the surface of the human body and is mainly effective for supporting the hamstrings, namely, the muscles of the posterior side of the femoral region of the leg.
BACKGROUND ART
Hitherto, various kinds of sports or training activities or the like excessively load muscles of the leg region and often cause disorders in this region. In order to prevent such disorders in muscles, or to support the relevant muscles or bones when disorders occur, a taping treatment or so-called supporter has been employed. However, the above mentioned conventional taping method has a problem, for example, applying the taping treatment requires skill etc. Moreover, the taping treatment inhibits the movement of the muscles to prevent excessive contraction. On the other hand, the supporter, worn over the articulation, also restricts the movement of the articulation, and in turn often indirectly inhibits the movement of muscles. Therefore, both the taping treatment and the supporter restrict the function of muscles and do not provide support for the contraction of muscles.
Thus, a leg protection garment having a structure for supporting the specific muscles of the leg by a portion having a strong straining force has been developed (See Publication of Japanese Patent Application (Tokkai Hei) No. 4-343868, (Tokko Hei) No.6-41641, (Tokko Hei) No. 6-51921). These leg protection garments: can be put on easily and adequately by ordinary people; provide a comfortable fit without being painful to a user; have no hygienic problems such as itchy skin due to it becoming stuff; and furthermore support the muscle contraction and help the extended muscle easily recover, thus being effective for reducing muscle fatigue during exercise and exhibiting the effect of promoting the prevention or treatment of specific disorders etc. of the leg.
Moreover, the leg protection garment described in the above mentioned official gazettes support the muscles of the medial, lateral and anterior sides of the femoral region, or the muscle below the patella region. Among such muscles, the musculus quadriceps femoris, for example, functions by flexing the articulatio coxae and extending the articulatio genus. However, the articulatio genus becomes unstable when it is in the extended position, so that an impact can easily cause a rupture of the ligament and a fracture in the vicinity of the articulation. Therefore, by supporting the musculus quadriceps femoris, its function can be strengthened and the above mentioned disorders can be prevented.
However, as mentioned above, the conventional leg protection garment supports only the medial, lateral and anterior sides of the femoral region, but does not support the hamstrings, i.e. the muscles of the posterior side of the femoral region. Herein, the hamstrings means the muscles of the posterior side of the femoral region, namely, the combination of the musculus biceps femoris, the musculus semitendinosus, and the musculus semimembranosus. These muscles are mainly used, for example,: {circle around (1)} when strongly stepping backward on the ground in running, particularly, in increasing the running speed; {circle around (2)} when jumping higher in jumping; and {circle around (3)} when raising up on a bicycle pedal after pushing it downward. These muscles have functions of extending the articulatio coxae and flexing or adducting the articulatio genus. The hamstrings, because of their function, also play important roles in various sports, for example, rugby, soccer, basketball, volley ball, baseball, golf, bicycle racing, bobsledding, etc. For example, in the movement of running quickly after the scrum and break in rugby, if the posterior side of the femur is not used well, it is necessary to switch the stressed place from the anterior side to the posterior side, and so a smooth movement cannot be conducted. Also, the same is true in the play following a rebound while playing basketball. In other words, the musculus extensor of articulatio coxae plays an important role in providing stability of the pelvis in the front and back directions, and is particularly involved in the extension of the extensor muscle of articulatio coxae during normal walking. In sports in which players strike the ground with their feet (running, basketball, volley ball, etc.), if the pelvis position moves upward and downward, power disperses and the subsequent motion cannot be smoothly conducted. Moreover, in some aspects of jumping while playing volley ball, if players can jump without bending the knee deeply, it is advantageous that they can jump by taking the speed of support running. In such a case, it is necessary to jump by mainly using the posterior side of the femur. Furthermore, in bobsledding, the first pushing start is a key to the subsequently attained speed. The muscles used during this first pushing start are hamstrings. Thus, hamstrings have important functions in various kinds of sports. However, it is generally indicated that, in Japanese people, the hamstrings are weaker than the muscles of the anterior side of the femoral region such as the musculus quadriceps femoris, etc.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
It is the object of the present invention to provide a garment which has a structure in which a tape-like portion having a stronger straining force than stretchable fabric is partially placed on a garment's main part having at least lower half of the body and being formed of stretchable fabric and thus mainly provide support the muscle movement of the hamstrings, i.e. the muscles of the posterior side of the femoral region among the leg, which are not supported by the conventional leg protection garment.
Moreover, the leg position in which the articulatio genus is flexing is unstable and easily causes disorders in the ligament of the knee or the meniscus. Such disorders tend to occur in sports activities, for example, rugby or soccer, requiring a force generated by flexing the knee. Therefore, it is also an object of the present invention to prevent such disorders by supporting the hamstrings as mentioned above.
Furthermore, the function of the articulatio genus can be well balanced when each muscle of the anterior side and posterior side of the femoral region works sufficiently well. Balance such as this cannot sufficiently be attained with the conventional leg protection garments described in Japanese Patent Application No. Tokkai Hei 4-343868, No. Tokko Hei 6-41641, and No. Tokko Hei 6-51921, since they only aim at supporting the muscles of the anterior side of the femoral region. Therefore, it is also an object of the present invention is to aid the function of the articulatio genus and entire region of the articulatio coxae, by supporting not only the muscle of the anterior side of the femoral region but also the muscle of the posterior side of the femoral region by combining the garment of the present invention with the conventional leg protection garment.
In order to resolve the above mentioned problems, the present invention provides:
(1) a leg protection garment having a lower half of the body part that has a leg portion of length capable of covering at least the patella region and formed of stretchable fabric, wherein the garment has a portion having a partially strong straining force and comprises the portion expressed by at least the following (A) and/or (B) as the portion having a strong straining force;
(A) a portion having a strong straining force which ranges from an area above the trochanter major
1
to the vicinity
5
of the upper end of the tibia by way of the trochanter major
2
and further the vicinity over the musculus biceps femoris and/or the tractus iliotibialis so as to support the musculus biceps femoris, wherein the portion passes the vicinity
4
of the tendon region located below the muscle belly of the musculus biceps femoris without crossing the muscle belly of the musculus biceps femoris at a ri
Fujii Takako
Saka Risa
Brown Michael A.
Hamilton Lalita
Morrison Law Firm
Wacoal Corp.
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